Submission to Green Mountain Care Board Commits to Supporting Primary Care Providers, Reducing Expenses, Limiting Growth of Hospital Costs and Reaffirms Commitment to Communities Served
Vermont Business Magazine Patients experiencing the effects of a wide-reaching affordability crisis in the region will benefit from a plan submitted to the Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB) proposing a multi-year effort to address health care costs and patient access. The plan is the result of informal conversations between University of Vermont Health Network’s leadership team, members of the health system’s Board of Trustees, and GMCB members.
The main goals are to reduce expenses and limit growth of hospital costs, support other key health care providers, including non-hospital primary care, and reaffirm UVM Health Network’s commitment to providing high-quality, sustainable care to the communities it serves in Vermont and northern New York.
“The conversations we’ve had leading up to this proposal have truly shown the power of collaboration and understanding in finding new solutions,” said Tom Golonka, chair of UVM Health Network’s Board of Trustees. “I’m deeply grateful to our board members, our leaders and the Green Mountain Care Board for coming together with a shared commitment to doing what’s best for our patients and communities – especially those who have faced challenges due to the steps our health system took in recent months. This plan reflects our promise to be a stronger partner and neighbor in the years ahead.”
Among many other initiatives identified in the submission, the proposal calls for:
- Significant investments by UVM Health Network in community-based primary care, and partnership with primary care providers throughout the region to reduce more expensive visits to the emergency room.
- A liaison to work with UVM Health Network, the GMCB and hired consultants to reduce operating expenses, deliver more efficient care, and provide review of regulatory submissions and compliance. This level of collaboration is uncommon in health care and is part of UVM Health Network’s commitment to limiting growth of commercial rates and ensuring reliability and transparency in hospital budgets and operations.
- UVM Health Network submitting future budget proposals that follow guidance from the GMCB for Vermont hospitals and making the preservation of clinical services a priority if reductions must be made to comply with future budget orders.
- $12 million to Blue Cross Blue Shield Vermont as part of an effort to settle their claims related to UVM Medical Center charges for previous fiscal years.
- Incorporating statewide health care goals by which health system senior leaders are evaluated and compensated for their work.
If the proposal is approved as submitted, a five-member group will work over a period of 16 months to select and oversee consultants to make recommendations focused on maintaining the high-quality care the health system provides while improving efficiency, affordability and access. This group will be made up of two members of the GMCB or their designees, one representative from UVM Health Network’s Board of Trustees, one representative from UVM Medical Center’s Board of Trustees, and an independent liaison selected by the GMCB.
“Health care begins and ends with trust – in the skills and expertise of your care team, that your hospital or clinic will be there for you when you need them, and most of all, trust in others with your life. Our patients depend on us and we take that responsibility seriously. When that trust is compromised, we have an obligation to make it right,” said Sunny Eappen, MD, MBA, president and chief executive officer of UVM Health Network. “We’re focused on rebuilding and strengthening our relationships with our communities, our Vermont regulator and our people – this proposal is an important step in that process.”
The plan requires full approval from both UVM Health Network’s Board of Trustees and the Green Mountain Care Board. As a next step, the GMCB will review the plan, conduct a public hearing, receive public comment, and potentially vote on the submission in the coming weeks. If approved, work would begin to put the plan in motion, including finalizing Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposals from the health system’s three Vermont hospitals that align with the framework.
“The decisions we made last fall disappointed our patients and communities – the very people who put their trust in us to receive outstanding care. We’ve heard your voices and are working hard to earn back your trust,” said Stephen Leffler, MD, president and chief operating officer at UVM Medical Center. “The initiatives proposed in this plan will be hard work, but if we can do better for our patients, we want to do everything we can to get there. We’re eager to take on this challenge.”
About University of Vermont Health Network
University of Vermont Health Network is an integrated system serving the residents of Vermont and northern New York with a shared mission: working together, we improve people’s lives. The partners are:
University of Vermont Medical Center
University of Vermont Health Network Medical Group
University of Vermont Health Network – Alice Hyde Medical Center
University of Vermont Health Network – Central Vermont Medical Center
University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital
University of Vermont Health Network – Elizabethtown Community Hospital
University of Vermont Health Network – Porter Medical Center
University of Vermont Health Network – Home Health & Hospice
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